ICC Women's T20 World Cup: South Africa start off campaign with 10-wicket win over West Indies

Laura Wolvaardt's South Africa got off to a winning start at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024, beating Hayley Matthews' West Indies by ten wickets in Dubai on Friday, thanks to a four-wicket haul by Nonkululeko Mlaba and fifties by the opening pair of Wolvaardt and Tanzim Brits.

An impressive bowling showing from South Africa left them needing 119 to win the Group B contest, with Marizanne Kapp taking the big wickets of Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin, and Mlaba returning the pick of the figures with 4/29. And the South African openers made easy work of the chase, with Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits putting in a dominant display to reach their target with 13 balls to spare.

Wolvaardt set the tone with a glorious drive early in the powerplay, and West Indies' struggles with the ball were only compounded when Zaida James was hit in the face by a shot off her own bowling and was forced from the field having just bowled a single delivery of her allocation.

West Indies turned to eight bowlers in total as they searched for a breakthrough, but the events were in vain, and they will now turn their attention to important games coming up against Scotland, Bangladesh, and England in group B.

The nature of South Africa's win will give the squad hope that they can go one better than the last edition of this tournament and take the title, and with Wolvaardt (59* in 55 balls, with seven fours) and Brits (57* in 52 balls, with six fours) in such excellent form, they will be a threat to all of the top teams. It was South Africa who won the toss and elected to field in Dubai, and they picked up key scalps in the powerplay, removing both openers.

The experienced Marizanne Kapp bagged the prized scalp of West Indies captain Hayley Matthews, who edged behind for 10, prompting jubilant celebrations. And fellow opener Qiana Joseph struggled to get going, before being cleaned up by Nonkululeko 'Lefy' Mlaba for a scratchy 4 from 14. West Indies ended the powerplay on 31/2, with the experienced pair of Deandra Dottin and Stafanie Taylor at the crease.

Kapp returned for her third over to prize out the dangerous-looking Dottin, who had found the boundary three times before departing for 13(11), but West Indies recovered well through Taylor and Shemaine Campbelle, who steadied the ship with a 30-run partnership.

But it was the class of Mlaba that kept West Indies in check, with the diminutive spinner picking up two in two balls to remove Shemaine Campbelle (17) and Chinelle Henry (0), and returning to snaffle the wicket of Aaliyah Alleyne too.

Mlaba finished with figures of 4/29--returns that were even more critical given a hand injury that prevented Sune Luus from bowling her full allocation. Zaida James (15* from 13) joined Taylor (44* in 41 balls, with two fours and a six) to steer the West Indies to a total of 118/6 from their 20 overs, with Taylor hobbling from the field after an innings-saving knock in high temperatures under the Dubai afternoon sun. But that score proved well under-powered in the face of South Africa's opening blitz. (ANI)